The Lesser Evil
Last night my scared boy Sunny came slinking up the stairs to join John and I in the loft. This is not something Sunny does on his own. Apparently he decided that being in the same room with John was the lesser of two evils. The other being in the same room with the crated ...
Go Ahead Comfort That Scared Dog!
I'm not sure why it is people are so reluctant to accept that you can comfort, or reward a dog when it is afraid and NOT be telling the dog it's ok to be afraid. Doctors give little kids lollipops, we hug people who are nervous, we hold the hand of someone who ...
Be a better trainer, not a stronger leader
At an agility meet over the weekend I met a young woman who ran a rescue organization. She was at the event to run her own dog, a small breed mix that should be auditioning for the next Disney film it was so darn cute. Between runs we met in the parking lot, she had ...
How To Be A Friend To A Fearful Dog
It is possible to change how a dog feels and behaves around the things that scare them. And even a dog that isn’t exactly the dog of someone’s dreams can have a good life and provide their owner with companionship and joy. But making this happen usually means changing how we think about our scared dogs. It means questioning the things we’ve been told about dogs and how they learn new skills.
